Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Captures ‘Invisible’ Traumatic Brain Injuries

Rama Madhurapantula, of the Illinois Institute of Technology, will describe how synchrotron X-ray diffraction can aid in diagnosing invisible traumatic brain injuries in their presentation, “X-ray fiber diffraction to elucidate tissue transition and changes to molecular packing in relation damage,” held Sunday, July 31 at the annual ACA meeting. While traditional imaging methods work on the micron scale, Madhurapantula’s team showed synchrotron X-ray diffraction can capture much smaller changes to myelin on the nanometer to angstrom scale in situ.

Light Versus Heavy Drinking Adults: Study Reveals Differences in Sleep and Circadian Timing That May Inform Alcohol Treatment Strategies

Heavy and light drinkers show differences in biological markers of the internal processes that regulate the 24-hour sleep/wake cycle. The study findings, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, may have implications for the clinical management of patients seeking treatment for heavy drinking. Previous studies have shown that later circadian timing, manifesting as a preference for evening (‘night owl’) rather than morning (‘lark’) activity, is associated with increased alcohol consumption. However, research into the association between alcohol use and biological markers of circadian timing was lacking. Two such markers are DLMO (dim light melatonin onset – considered the gold standard circadian phase marker) and PIPR (the post-illumination pupil response – a measure of activity of photoreceptors in the eye that are a key influence on circadian timing). In the latest study, researchers compared sleep, DLMO-related measures, and photoreceptor responsivity in heavy and

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance | Diagnostic Accuracy of Self-test for Influenza

JMIR Publications recently published “Diagnostic Accuracy of an At-Home, Rapid Self-test for Influenza: Prospective Comparative Accuracy Study” in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance which reported that rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for influenza used by individuals at home could potentially expand access to testing and reduce the impact of influenza on health systems. Improving access to testing could lead to earlier diagnosis following symptom onset, allowing more rapid interventions for those who test positive, including behavioral changes to minimize spread.

JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies | Study on Voice-Assisted Technology

JMIR Publications recently published “Speech and Language Practitioners’ Experiences of Commercially Available Voice-Assisted Technology: Web-Based Survey Study” in JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies which reported the professional experiences of UK speech and language therapists using voice-assisted technology (VAT) (e.g. Alexa, Siri) with their clients to identify the potential applications and barriers to VAT adoption and thereby inform future directions of research.

JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting | Teleconsultation to Prevent Skin Conditions in Infants

JMIR Publications recently published “Effectiveness of Pediatric Teleconsultation to Prevent Skin Conditions in Infants and Reduce Parenting Stress in Mothers: Randomized Controlled Trial” in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting which reported that mothers of infants are prone to experiencing parenting stress, which adversely affects mothers’ and children’s well-being. Additionally, studies have reported that atopic dermatitis (AD) among offspring enhances parenting stress, and postnatal maternal psychological problems can increase the risk of AD in children.

Children Who Lack Sleep May Experience Detrimental Impact on Brain and Cognitive Development That Persists Over Time, UM School of Medicine Study Finds

Elementary school-age children who get less than nine hours of sleep per night have significant differences in certain brain regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those who get the recommended nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers.

Air Mobility Command Pens Education Research Agreement with Saint Louis University

Air Mobility Command (AMC), the military command in charge of global airlift, aeromedical evacuation, aerial refueling, and the global air mobility support system from its home at Scott Air Force Base (AFB) and Saint Louis University (SLU) have partnered to promote academic research into technologies for future supply chains and transportation systems.

Hypertension Elevates Risk for More Severe COVID-19 Illness

Hypertension more than doubles the risk of hospitalization related to Omicron infection, even in people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, according to a new study led by investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. The findings are published in the journal Hypertension.

JMIR Cancer | The Information Needs of Patients With Ovarian Cancer

JMIR Publications recently published “Understanding the Information Needs of Patients With Ovarian Cancer Regarding Genetic Testing to Inform Intervention Design: Interview Study” in JMIR Cancer, which reported that experts in gynecological cancer care recommend that all patients with invasive or high-grade ovarian cancer (OC) undergo genetic testing. However, even patients who intend to take or have taken genetic tests have many unaddressed information needs regarding genetic testing. Existing genetic counseling falls short of adequately addressing this challenge.

Hackensack University Medical Center Offers Innovative Nonsurgical Treatment for Knee Pain Nerve-Freezing Approach Reduces Need for Opioids

Hackensack University Medical Center physicians are now offering ioverao, a handheld device that is applied in the doctor’s office before knee replacement surgery to relieve postoperative knee pain, as well as to reduce the chronic pain of knee osteoarthritis. This cryotherapy treatment has been shown to decrease patients’ use of opioids and restore mobility by reducing stiffness and discomfort.

JMIR Medical Informatics | The Science of Learning Health Systems

JMIR Publications recently published “The Science of Learning Health Systems: Scoping Review of Empirical Research” in JMIR Medical Informatics which reported that the development and adoption of a Learning Health System (LHS) has been proposed as a means to address key challenges facing current and future health care systems. Learning Health Systems (LHS) is a concept that seeks to connect a myriad of data and knowledge with clinicians, families, and the patient themselves in a highly sophisticated way that fully supports informed decision making, and forms a continuous cycle of improvement.

New $10M NSF-Funded Institute Will Get to the CORE of Data Science

A new National Science Foundation initiative has created a $10 million dollar institute led by computer and data scientists at University of California San DIego that aims to transform the core fundamentals of the rapidly emerging field of Data Science.

JMIR Perioperative Medicine | COVID-19–Related Backlog: Operating Room Ramp-Up

JMIR Publications recently published “A Canadian Weekend Elective Pediatric Surgery Program to Reduce the COVID-19–Related Backlog: Operating Room Ramp-Up After COVID-19 Lockdown Ends—Extra Lists (ORRACLE-Xtra) Implementation Study” in JMIR Perioperative Medicine which reported that a decrease in surgical services led to substantial backlogs for time-sensitive scheduled pediatric patients.

WFIRM researchers create specific cancer organoid system to study bacterial effects on immunotherapy

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) researchers are using a tumor organoid system to examine the effects of metabolites secreted by bacteria on a specialized immunotherapy – immune checkpoint blockage, a promising cancer treatment development – to determine why some patients don’t respond or develop a resistance to the treatment over time.